Multiple Sclerosis by Shelley Peterman Schwarz

Author:Shelley Peterman Schwarz
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
Published: 2017-04-07T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

Your House and Home

I spend a great deal of time in my home, so I have tried to create an environment where I can be safe, independent, and productive. In 1999, my husband, Dave, and I built an accessible, custom home. It has barrier-free entrances, widened doorways, grab bars in the bathroom, lowered light switches, and raised electrical outlets. However, before we built this house, we did two major remodeling projects to our old house to make it more accessible. In many cases, we found that the most valuable accessibility improvements generally cost less than $50 to $100. These products are easy to install or are do-it-yourself projects.

Two of my favorite and most inexpensive products that help me all around the house are:

1.Rubber bands: I wind them around kitchen tools, bottles, cleaning-product spray cans, my handheld shower handle, and other household objects to improve my ability to grasp and hold on to items.

2.Rubberized (waffle weave) squares or shelf liner: I use the squares to open jars and bottles and keep small items from sliding or moving around on the table or countertop. When I use the shelf liner as a place mat, my dishes don’t slide around. Used under a mixing bowl, the bowl stays in one place. You’ll find this product in the kitchen section of discount department stores.

Getting Started—Making Your Home More Accessible

3.If you could benefit from a more accessible home environment, but you don’t know where to start, contact your local Independent Living Center (ILC), Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), or Aging-in-Place agency. They will direct you to reputable professionals to evaluate your needs, help you find a Certified Environmental Access Consultant (CEAC) or an Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS), and funding sources you may want to contact. CEAC or CAPS are builders and remodelers highly trained in accessibility standards and solutions. Before hiring any contractor, ask to speak with satisfied customers.

4.If you rent rather than own, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires landlords to make “reasonable accommodations” for people with disabilities. However, it is up to the landlord to determine what is reasonable, something the landlord usually decides based on cost and how universal any changes might be for future tenants. If you need grab bars installed in the bathroom, offset hinges installed, or a different type of doorknob, ask your landlord to provide these changes. More extensive changes may be allowed if you or a service agency provides all or part of the funding.

5.Smart-home technology can make your whole house more accessible than ever before with the touch of a finger. From any location with access on a smartphone, tablet, or computer, you are able to control your lights, temperature, TVs, appliances, security cameras, and more. Search online for “home automation products and systems” or “smart-home technology.”

Home Accessibility

Lighting and Light Switches

6.Replace traditional light switches with rocker panel or pressure-sensitive switches. Available in lighted or unlighted versions, they can be turned on and off by pressing with an arm, elbow, or palm of the hand, requiring less fine motor control.

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